Great to hear your company were happy to give you the summer off Steve, last year my company gave me a 12 week sabatical between June and September to get more involved in Christian activities in rural France where my parents live. Things like this encourage loyalty in employees and make for a much happier working life if you know your bosses will give you a break when you need one.

Awesome summer holiday this year too- flew to Australia to catch up with an old friend and to make some new ones, played golf, fishing deadly puffer fish from a pier (not the inteded catch but nevermind) + other general touristy stuff. Excellent holiday topped off with a whole day sight seeing in Hong Kong on the way back to London Heathrow.

And to make it even better found myself a very nice young lady (having been on the bench for a few years) within a week of getting back from Oz.

I'd like to tell you all about my summer plans but it would all sound too cool and smug and I'd hate to make everyone jealous at how wild and crazy it will be (oh, OK, it's a week in Devon with the kids). Oh, I did get to see Neil Young at Hyde Park, the rest is all work, work, work. Nice and sunny here though!

This year I had the oddest holiday experience: finding out that my first QOTD was being issued whilst abroad with intermittent Internet access. I was really pleased that I had, after many years, started contributing a little more but felt guilty that I wasn't there all day to respond to any queries regarding the question. This summer (or there abouts) I also had my first editorial published. Do these count as fun things? Not sure that they do!!!

Apart from that; time with family, meeting a friend for the first time in 14 years tomorrow (he now lives in Colorado, USA whereas I live in rural England) and a Progressive Supper in a couple of Saturdays time.

A Progressive Supper is done in couples but (much like the Amazing Race - love that show) they do not have to be life partners (be it Mr & Mrs, Mr & Mr or Miss & Miss) so sometimes it is friends or, perhaps, parent and (adult) child. You receive two envelopes; one to open immediately and one to open when the course you host is finished (time on the outside of the envelope). In the first envelope you see which course you are allocated and will have to prepare it for your couple and two other couples. It will also state what time it all starts and, if the first course is not what you are providing, where to go for it. The second letter details where each of the couples attending your course needs to go for the next one (each to a different house!!!) or if it is after dessert then when and where the after party is at (probably The Bell in Eccleshall). This is a great way to meet people and have a lot of fun.

My summer has consisted of a week in rural Turkey...away from all technology!

I find a break away from everything that could be even tenuously associated with work allows me to unwind properly and gives me a completely fresh approach to things on my return, i've rewritten 2 full applications and 8 stored procedures after looking at the code with a fresh perspective!.

My plans do not come to fruition until this upcoming week when I will be on vacation for a week. I can barely wait!

My mother is turning 60, so my family is throwing her a 60th birthday party. I live in the U.S., but my family, including my mother, lives in The Bahamas, which is where I grew up. So, there will be some indulgence in the crystal clear water and powdery soft sand beaches with my 4-year old daughter and 2-year old son. Believe it or not, but I have not been to the beach on recent visits in quite a while! I am definitely looking forward to it!

Two week holiday in Alabama. I lived and worked there from 1998-2000 and made some excellent friends. The first week of the holiday was spent in Birmingham staying with one of my best friends and seeing my other mates too. The second week was spent at a beach house in Orange Beach, enjoying the Gulf of Mexico.

A fantastic two weeks. Now back in the UK where it has deigned to be sunny which pleases me greatly given what I had become used to in Alabama.

I've also moved into a new house, been there for just over a week now. It's got a garden so we can enjoy the summer more, unlike our old house which had a titchy back yard so small we never used it.